Researchers discover that unborn babies anticipate touch in the womb
Editor’s note. This was posted today at clinicquotes.com.
An
article in the British periodical The Daily Mail discusses an article
in The Journal Developmental Psychobiology which describes the cognitive
development of unborn babies. Based on conclusions reached by
researchers from Durham and Lancaster Universities in the U.K.
“For the first time, psychologists
discovered that foetuses were able to predict, rather than react to,
their own hand movements towards their mouths as they entered the later
stages of gestation compared to earlier in a pregnancy….
Psychologist Dr Nadja Reissland
explained: ‘Increased touching of the lower part of the face and mouth
in foetuses could be an indicator of brain development necessary for
healthy development, including preparedness for social interaction,
self-soothing and feeding.’
The discovery comes after a previous
study found babies make faces in the womb, potentially as practice
before coming in to the world.
Dr Reissland and a team of
researchers from Lancaster University and Durham University, which led
the study, used ‘4D’ ultrasound scans – 3D scans that can be seen in
real time – to image eight girls and seven boys once a month between the
24th and 36th week of pregnancy.
Both boys and girls showed the same rate of development during the study.
In the earlier stage of gestation
they saw babies touch the upper part and sides of their heads, although
later on they began to touch the the lower, more sensitive, part of
their faces and mouths.
By the 36th week the majority of
fetuses were seen opening their mouths before they touched them, which
scientists say is a sign that they were anticipating touch…..
Scientists believe that moving in
sequence, opening mouths before sucking on a finger or thumb, shows
intention is developing in the fetuses….”
Source: NRLC News
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